Top 20 PlayStation 02 Games (Updated 2025 List)

The PlayStation 2 brought us some of the greatest single-player PlayStation 02 Games of all time. Just countless cool adventures and stories and fun times. So, today, we’re gonna talk about 20 of our favourites. These are the mine personal choices in no particular order. So, let’s just jump down memory lane here and get started off with number 20.

“Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil” is just an excellent mascot platformer, especially as we were rolling into a time where we were getting less and less, this Japanese-style fun action platform game was just really cool and quirky. It’s a 2D platformer in a 3D world. Man, there’s so much nostalgia for this one. This game was released in 2001 and we’re still thinking about it today.

Next, over at number 19, we have “Final Fantasy XII.” It’s got a pretty great story, some interesting characters, and a really cool world they built out here, but the J-RPG gameplay and the character-building are our favorite part of this game. They remastered it, they re-released it, so you can easily check this one out.

Now, next, over number 18, if we’re sticking with J-RPGs, “Dark Cloud 2.” Really, “Dark Cloud 1” and “2” despite being stylistically different, are both really great RPG, adventurey-type games, with a lighthearted tone. The whole “Dark Cloud” loop is centered around questing, building out a party, going out in those quests or dungeons, getting things, and then bringing them back and assembling stuff like an entire town.

The second game’s more cell-shaded, bright art style, really helps shake things up and make it a much more memorable experience. And while they might be a little bit simple and straightforward for today’s players, it doesn’t make these games any less satisfying.

Next, over at number 17, we have “Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening.” This is an incredible “Devil May Cry” game. This is where things really got shaken up in a great way. More play styles, much more challenge, more complex levels, bosses, enemy types, and an incredible story that really fleshed out what fans were kind of clinging to what was established with “Devil May Cry 1” and kind of “2.”

“Devil May Cry 3” serves as an awesome kind of prequel, kind of build-up of the legend of Dante and its family issues. And it really is an incredible and satisfying action game. It will kick your ass. It is not easy at all. But there are so many cool memorable moments, and just so much cool stuff and depth to the combat, that it’s really worth pushing your way through it and seeing it to the end.

Next, over at number 16, here’s a game that you probably won’t see mentioned on a lot of other lists, it’s “God Hand.” This 2006, really unconventional action beat ’em up game from Japan is really something else and an underrated gem. It’s actually by Clover Studio, the legendary studio now, who brought us “Viewtiful Joe,” “Okami,” and then, eventually, kind of evolved into Platinum Games. It’s got so much personality.

Next, over number 15, we have “Silent Hill 2,” one of the greatest survival horror games of all time. This game is an absolute masterclass in mood, atmosphere, tension, and just horrific creative designs. And it’s something that you just don’t see in games today, really. Sure, the actual combat and moving around was kind of clunky, definitely just try and go back and play the original classic on a PlayStation 2.

Next, over at number 14, we have “Jak II.” The “Jak and Daxter” franchise is really great top to bottom, but, for us, we really like “Jak II” because of the bold change in direction, the cool sci-fi open-world they created. The actual challenge, this game is surprisingly hard. The hoverboard sections, all the cool weapons you can get that transform, the humor the vastness of it all, it’s really something else.

Naughty Dog really kick things into insanely high gear, from really “Jak and Daxter” to “Jak and Daxter II,” and so on. And to be honest, we really miss those days. We love serious realistic games as much as the next person, but something about a weird elf guy and an ottsel on his shoulder, flying around in spaceships, and shooting bad guys is just so cool and we need more games like this today.

Next, over at number 13, we have “Resident Evil 4.” Now, this one, first, of course, was released on the GameCube, but we had to give “Resident Evil” some love on this list. And “Resident Evil 4” is incredible. “Resident Evil 4” pioneered the over-the-shoulder third-person shooting, and still maintain that survival horror tension and resource management stress that we really love.

Story gets wild and goes places. This game managed to make Leon Kennedy a complete badass and we are grateful for that. This is another one where they’re attempting to remake it, and I don’t even know how they could do it. I don’t know how you even touch this one, ’cause it’s so great already.

Next, over at number 12, we have “Bully.” This is back when Rockstar Games made more than just “Grant Theft Auto.” There was a time where they were wild and experimenting with a bunch of weird, different style games, and “Bully” was one of the greatest ones. You played as a kid named Jimmy in a private school. You explored this school. You went to class. You engaged in missions. You messed with students, did pranks, lots of mini-games, and real exploration around the surrounding town.

The game is fun, cool, quirky, and different for Rockstar, but it also had incredible music that I think really set up how Rockstar would create their scores for their games moving forward. It is a unique and fun early open-world experience that has been ported to basically every system. So, if you haven’t played it at this point, I don’t know what you’re doing, man.

Next, over at number 11, we have “Persona 4.” Yes, originally a PlayStation 2 game, this J-RPG was absolutely incredible, with a story focus around students, giving you really, really likable characters, and just downright amazing music, all set in a really cool and unique style. This type of game can really bring new people into J-RPGs and anime, and we think it certainly did back in the day.

The turn-based combat was really satisfying but it was all really worth it for the cut scenes and the story. This was a hell of a game to chew on and people are still chewing on it to this day, to be honest. Some might even say it’s better than “Persona 5,” but we’ll leave that to you guys.

Next, over at number 10, we have “Kingdom Hearts.” Really, the original “Kingdom Hearts” or “Kingdom Hearts II” were just incredible cultural experiences in gaming. You just had to be there. The original “Kingdom Hearts,” for a lot of kids, really came out of nowhere and was this incredible mashup of Japanese, “Final Fantasy” stuff, with famous Disney characters.

It was really unprecedented and just an incredibly rewarding and satisfying action-adventure RPG game. Then the second one, of course, as you probably know, really blew it out of the water. And these games still have people talking about them to this day. When you boil it down to just the charm and the fun and the warm hug that was the first two games, it really deserves a spot on this list for us here, personally.

Now, next, over at number nine, we have “Onimusha 3: Demon Siege.” The “Onimusha” hack ‘n’ slash adventure games are awesome. The original one completely blew us away. But “3” overall, for us, was just a more memorable, more awesome game. We consider it pretty much the best of the series.

Samanosuke is the most badass. The actor, Jean Reno is in it. And it’s a pretty over-the-top adventure, and we don’t really get a lot of games like this anymore. Capcom was really bringing the heat with this series and a lot of people forget about it. And we’ve been asking for a revival of this series for what feels like forever. Maybe we’ll get it one day. I don’t know.

Next, over at number eight, we have “Tony Hawk’s Underground.” Yes, you know, we were gonna include it. There are so many “Tony Hawk” games for the PlayStation 2. But if we’re talking single-player experiences, we’re gonna go with the one that had the most story, and that was “Tony Hawk’s Underground.”

You created your own character, and you, essentially, went on an adventure of a young skater rising to fame. It had memorable moments, memorable villains, like that asshole Eric Sparrow, and just incredible “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” gameplay, that I personally love to death, to this day. And man, does it hold up. “Tony Hawk’s Underground” is still a legend in “Tony Hawk” fan circles.

Now, next, over at number seven, we have “Okami.” This was the last game by Clover Studio and it was directed by Hideki Kamiya. This takes a bunch of Japanese folklore and mythology and just makes a really cool unconventional adventure with a really, really cool art style that embraces its classical roots, with a kind of “Zelda”-style adventuring structure.

And you play Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, kind of in like this wolf form. There’s this whole brush mechanic, where you can actually manipulate a paintbrush to change your world. And it’s really unique, from the gameplay concepts to the art style, to the whole thing with the classical Japanese style. But it did really solidify Hideki Kamiya as one of the greats.

Now, next, over at number six, we have “Shadow of the Colossus.” Of course, this iconic, incredible game, we’ve talked about so many times before. But just a solitary, really quiet, really contemplative adventure, in a sad, empty, open mysterious world was really just what the doctor ordered at the time when it released on PlayStation 2.

It’s just you, the lone adventurer, with a horse, traveling the land, finding giant monsters, and climbing up them and slaying them one by one, seemingly to save a princess. There’s a lot more to it, but, from the gameplay concepts of sword and bow and arrow. This game was remade for PlayStation 4 and it is just as damn good. However you play it, you should definitely experience it.

Next, over at number five, we have “Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus.” Now, to be honest, we haven’t given the “Sly Cooper” series enough love here on this channel, but now it’s time. These games were great. All three games are good, but the first is probably still the best, at least for us.

Maybe it’s nostalgia, but the incredible art style, the light, accessible, but really fun stealth, the humor, just really everything built really paved the way forward for what they would continue to do for years to come. Build cool worlds and cool characters that we fall in love with. And we’re still waiting for another “Sly Cooper” game. Come on, guys.

Next, over at number four, let’s talk “Ratchet & Clank.” Specifically, for us, “Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando.” Now, this is another series where they’re all really kind of great. They’re all kind of similar. The first game really was groundbreaking for the time, with how it was a mascot action-platformer that we’ve seen a million times, but it had a lot of cool guns and a little bit more of an edgy teen type of humor.

But “Going Commando” just had a lot of really memorable moments, some really great more bigger scale action, and was one of the more perfect top to bottom “Ratchet & Clank” games. They’re all mostly pretty great, the new ones included. But we will just never forget, specifically, “Going Commando.”

Now, down to number three, we have “God of War II.” This is probably our favorite in the series for all of us here, just because of how crazy and over the top it is. The first game was really memorable, really cool, but the second game just blew up all those concepts. A deeper story, a more deeper embrace of Greek mythology, huge levels, crazy boss encounters, and Kratos’s story just gets even more wild. Also, from a technical perspective, it was staggeringly impressive.

It was one of the last gasps of the PlayStation 2 and Sony Santa Monica managed to squeeze so much power out of this game. It’s huge. It’s lengthy. It’s paced so well, where every single moment is interesting and engaging from beginning to end. And man, what a time. The anticipation for this one was through the roof. People were really hyped. But it was really just so nice that they actually exceeded those expectations. You love to see it.

Now, down to number two, “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.” Now, we had a hard time picking one specific “Grand Theft Auto” game. You know, on the PS2, they were huge. “Vice City” really took everything from “Grand Theft Auto III” and ran with it. You know, the hype, just the cool gameplay, the open-world action that the whole game industry just kind of really embraced. And they made it even better.

There was way more going on from missions, to the types of weapons you were using, to jumping in boats, hopping out of vehicles, flying in planes, motorcycles, scooters. This game was just so much fun. It’s another thing where it’s like you had to be there. I still think, maybe, “San Andreas” is stronger overall, but we wanted to just give some love to “Vice City” today. We really love this one.

Now, down to number one, of course, you know we were gonna say it, it’s “Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.” Now, we had a hard time choosing between “2” and “3,” but we went “3” this time. Honestly, ask us any day of the week, we might feel differently, but all “Metal Gear Solid” games are absolutely incredible, and “3” is top tier.

From some of the more interesting stealth encounters of the series, with added depth thanks to camouflage and the jungle environments, to all the cool weapons, to all the quirky gadgets, and just weird moments that come from “Metal Gear Solid” games and Hideo Kojima’s wacky game designer mind. To just a downright incredible story focusing around Big Boss and his mentor and the Soviet Union. And lots of things that really just kind of fleshed out the entire series, “Metal Gear Solid 3” enriched the entire “Metal Gear franchise before and after.

Not to mention it had some of the best, most cinematic music and incredible voice acting, and awesome cut scenes that you just love to sit through. Now, not everybody does. But for us, here, we just love a really good long “Metal Gear Solid” cut scene, and “3” provides, but, thankfully, it has the gameplay traps to back it up, specifically with some of those legendary boss battles. “Metal Gear Solid 3” straight-up rules.

Now, those are some single-player PlayStation 02 Games that we absolutely love, but there are so many more that we couldn’t cram on this list. We have a couple of bonuses, including the PlayStation 2 port of “Max Payne.” The original “Red Faction.” What a legendary game for PS2 BIOS. Originally an Xbox exclusive, but “Splinter Cell” did make its way to PlayStation 2. “SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs.” “Shadow Hearts: Covenant.” And “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.”

Like we said, those are some PS2 and PS1 single-player games that we absolutely loved. We played solo quite a bit and these games kept us busy. And we wanna hear from you guys in the comments what you enjoyed from the PlayStation 2 era. But, hey, as always, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you guys next time.